Protection cover for a torch

ABSTRACT

A polymeric protective cover for a torch includes a thermal insulation surface layer for isolating the heat emitted, to protect a user from burns, and such protection for any belonging that may come into contact with the torch. The polymeric cover includes any or all of the following: (i) an open end, (ii) a closed end, (iii) an optional flexible strap, and (iv) a plurality of ridges on the inside and outside surface area. The heat and fire-resistant cover is shaped to fit securely on the torch barrel immediately after use of the tool so that its user may use it as a transportable, light-weight cover which may be used with the strap that circumvents the torch and secures to the polymeric cover. The aforementioned strap may also be attached to securely hold the torch barrel upright at various angles while in use by its user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional application Application No. 62/634,626, filed Feb. 23, 2018, and titled “A PROTECTION COVER FOR A TORCH”.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a cover. In particular, the present invention relates to a housing/enclosure meant for protection against high temperature tooling devices.

BACKGROUND

In today's society, safety is a major concern when a user works with machinery or equipment that may cause harm to the user. A torch is one of such equipment that may cause serious injuries to a person present nearby, if left as such after the use due to the hot barrel. The torch throws flame to burn/heat up an object. Once the process is done, the user has to keep the torch as such, as currently there is no such way to keep the hot portion away from anyone nearby. Sometimes, the user keeps the torch away from the reach of anyone. But the user himself may forget the place where the user kept the torch after the use so that no one may come in contact with the hot barrel of the torch.

After using the torch, there are chances that the user may accidentally press the switch of the torch and the torch may get lit. There are also chances the user may accidentally forget to turn off the gas feeding into the barrel and leak gas from the torch tip which can also lead to a fire if there is a spark near the torch. The accidentally lit torch may burn everything and everyone coming in its way.

A safety product made up of a durable rubber is available in the prior art meant for holding frying pan so that the user may not get hurt while carrying the hot frying pan. The structure of the aforementioned safety product limits the application area of the same.

Few prior arts also talk about the elastomers with high fatigue limits and excellent durability in tough environments. U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,359 B1 discloses a mold made up of silicon elastomer that is used to make food products. The patent talks about utilizing the good thermal properties of an elastomer and employing it as a mold in baking food. Heat-curable elastomers also find application in EP 0,420,585 A2 due to its efficient working in low as well as high temperature environments.

Accordingly, there remains a need for a safety measure to be taken which may avoid any harm to occur to anyone by providing a suitable housing/enclosure to the torch. The aforementioned patents, U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,359 B1 and EP 0,420,585 A2, do not accomplish this.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing embodiment herein there is provided a cover to protect a user/belongings from getting burned from a hot barrel of a torch. The cover includes: (i) an open end, (ii) a closed end, (iii) a strap, and (iv) a plurality of ridges. The strap is flexible and attaches to the cover. The cover is coupled to the torch using the strap.

In one embodiment, the strap is a silicon strap. In another embodiment, the material of the strap is a plastic material that is thermal resistant and fire resistant in nature.

The inner surface of the cover includes a plurality of ridges. The plurality of ridges extend all over the length of the cover. The ridges (may also be referred as fins) act as heat sinks to absorb and spread the heat evenly through the surface area contacting the torch barrel.

In one embodiment, the material of the cover may be silicon or any other polymeric material.

In another aspect of the present invention, a polymeric cover for covering a barrel of a torch is provided. The polymeric cover includes: (i) an open end, (ii) a closed end, (iii) an optional flexible strap, and (iv) a plurality of ridges. The flexible strap is attached to the polymeric cover and secures the polymeric cover on the barrel of the torch. However, the flexible strap is not necessary to the functionality of the heat cover it acts as a secondary locking mechanism to hold the cover securely in place.

These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a cover for a barrel of a torch according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of the cover of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 1C illustrates a perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1A according to another embodiment herein;

FIG. 1D illustrates a perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1A without a strap coupled to the cover;

FIG. 1E illustrates a cut-section perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1A for a barrel of a torch according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 1F shows a cut-section top view of the cover of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic representation of a torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 2B is a diagrammatic representation of a torch with a cut-sectional view of the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover cut longitudinally to show the plurality of ridges according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 4A(i) represents a front-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch without the strap according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 4A(ii) represents a front-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch with the help of the strap;

FIG. 4B(i) represents a rear-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch without the strap;

FIG. 4B(ii) represents a rear-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch with the help of the strap;

FIG. 4C(i) represents a left-side-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch without the strap;

FIG. 4C(ii) represents a left-side-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch with the help of the strap;

FIG. 4D(i) represents a right-side-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch without the strap;

FIG. 4D(ii) represents a right-side-view of the torch with the cover mounted on the barrel of the torch with the help of the strap; and

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of one embodiment of the torch including the cover and the strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more in-depth with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

Accordingly, there remains a need of a safe, and an easy to mount cover for the torch. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1A through 2, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a cover 100 for a barrel of a torch according to an embodiment herein. The perspective view of the cover 100 shows an open end 102, a closed end 104, a strap 106, and a plurality of ridges 108 on the inside of the cover 100. The open end 102 allows a user to insert the barrel of the torch (not shown in FIG. 1) inside the cover 100. The closed end 104 prevents the atmospheric oxygen to enter the cover 100 thus preventing combustion. The strap 106 is flexible in nature and secures the cover 100 on the torch. In an embodiment, material for the strap 106 may be silicon or any other flexible plastic material. The strap 106 is pivoted at a point 109. The plurality of ridges 108 on the inside of the cover 100 absorb the heat of the barrel of the torch after the torch is used. In one embodiment, material for the cover 100 may be silicon or any other polymeric/plastic material.

FIG. 1B illustrates a front view of the cover 100 according to an embodiment herein. The front view shows the plurality of ridges 108 starting from the open end 102 and extending all over the length of the cover 100 towards the closed end 104.

FIG. 1C illustrates a perspective view of the cover 100 for a barrel of a torch according to an embodiment wherein the strap 106 fixedly couples to the cover 100. The strap 106 does not rotate/pivot about any point, instead the strap 106 is fixed and the user needs to pull the strap 106 in order to mount the cover 100 onto the barrel of the torch.

FIG. 1D illustrates a perspective view of a cover 100 for a barrel of a torch without a strap 106 coupled to the cover 100.

FIG. 1E illustrates a cut-section perspective view of a cover 100 of FIG. 1A for a barrel of a torch according to an embodiment herein. The cut-section view of the cover 100 shows the plurality of ridges 108 provided on the inner surface of the cover 100.

FIG. 1F shows a cut-section top view of the cover 100 of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment herein. The cut-section top view illustrates the plurality of ridges 108 that act as heat sink for the barrel of the torch.

FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic representation of a torch with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 according to an embodiment herein. The diagrammatic representation shows the complete insertion of the cover 100 on the barrel of the torch 200.

FIG. 2B is a diagrammatic representation of a torch with a cut-sectional view of the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 according to an embodiment showing the plurality of the ridges 108 on the inner surface of the cover 100.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover 100 cut longitudinally to show the plurality of ridges 108 according to an embodiment herein. The plurality of ridges 108 dissipate heat at a much faster rate and help maintain the temperature of the cover 100 at a lower level.

FIG. 4A(i) represents a front-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 without the strap.

FIG. 4A(ii) represents a front-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 with the help of the strap 106. The strap 106 functions to hold the cover 100 at a particular position on the barrel of the torch 200.

FIG. 4B(i) represents a rear-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 without the strap.

FIG. 4B(ii) represents a rear-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 with the help of the strap 106.

FIG. 4C(i) represents a left-side-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 without the strap.

FIG. 4C(ii) represents a left-side-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 with the help of the strap 106.

FIG. 4D(i) represents a right-side-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 without the strap.

FIG. 4D(ii) represents a right-side-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 mounted on the barrel of the torch 200 with the help of the strap 106.

FIG. 5 represents a upside-down-view of the torch 200 with the cover 100 used to securely position and maintain the barrel of the torch 200 in an upright position with the help of the strap 106. The strap 106 functions to hold the torch 200 at a particular position on the surface.

The cover provides safety to the user/belongings by providing a barrier between the hot barrel of the torch and the user/belongings. The closed end disables the torch from turning on due to the lack of oxygen necessary for combustion upon the hydrocarbon/volatile gas being released from the barrel of the torch. The topper can be made with a closed end or can be made without or can be made with an end that is detachable or that is attached but may pop off and on, for ease of use and safety precautionary measures. The ridges act as heat sinks and absorbs heat of the barrel thereby cooling the barrel at a faster pace and ready to use for the next time without the risk of any injury. The flexible strap completely secures the cover on the barrel and prevents easy removal of the same from the barrel of the torch.

Silicon rubber composition is resistant to extreme environments and high temperature above about 300° Fahrenheit. even if held by a user for a long time. The high thermal resistance, flexibility and fire resistance of silicon is the reason why silicon is preferred in protection cover for the hot barrel of the torch. However, any material, other than silicon, with high thermal and fire resistance that can provide barrier to heat can replace silicon in mating the protection corer for the torch.

The embodiments of the invention described above are exemplary in nature. A wide variety of other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A thermal protection device for the prevention of injuries and damage to skin and belongings caused by high temperatures, the device comprising: silicone elastomer having heat resistant properties; and a cavity on one side; a plurality of ridges around the outside surface area; a plurality of ridges on the inside surface area; cylindrical in shape.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein a flexible strap is attached to the outside surface area to provide further security and prevents easy removal of the same from the barrel of the torch.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein a flexible strap is detachable to the outside surface area to provide further security and prevent easy removal from the barrel of the torch.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein a flexible strap is detachable with multiple pivoting/rotating points to secure around the outside surface area to provide further security and prevent easy removal from the barrel of the torch.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the closed end is made with an end that is detachable.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the closed end is made with an end that is attached that pops off and on.
 7. The device of claim 1, where, the plurality of ridges is perpendicular to the longitude of the outside and/or inside surface area.
 8. The device of claim 1, where, the plurality of ridges is parallel to the longitude of the outside and/or inside surface area.
 9. The device of claim 1 where, the plurality of ridges can vary in height, thickness, and distance between each one.
 10. The device of claim 1, where, the material returns to the initial cylindrical shape when released from elastic deformation.
 11. The device of claim 1, where, the thickness of the material is approximately 3-20 mm.
 12. The device of claim 2, where, the thickness of the material is approximately 3-20 mm.
 13. The device of claim 3, where, the thickness of the material is approximately 3-20 mm.
 14. The device of claim 4, where, the thickness of the material is approximately 3-20 mm.
 15. The device of claim 1, wherein the heat-resistant material is formed of a material able to withstand thermal communication with a substance having a temperature above 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is sized and shaped so as to substantially fit a torch barrel.
 17. The device of claim 4, further comprising a strap that serves a dual function as a stand to stabilize the torch barrel upright at various angles between 22 to 90 degrees. 